I am grateful. I am gratitude. A series of misfortunes, some big, some small, have gripped me lately. I feel more like a cork bouncing along the waves of life. But still, there is so much to be grateful for. Tiny kindnesses. They make all the difference. Like someone holding your place in line in the wait for the Emergency Room, and letting you know where your loved one is when you run for food and drink. And mostly the camaraderie of fellow corks, not where they want to be, but making the most of it.

I am also pretty damn grateful for kind, skilled medical staff, universal health care, my support system of family and friends, my husband and son, and my faith in something bigger that connects us all.